How to add 3000 plus options to the custom field

[Sravan Muppavarapu]

I have a requirement, where I have to add more than 3000 option values to a custom field. How to do that. 

Can we do using a script runner plugin?

[Mikael Sandberg]

Hi @Sravan Muppavarapu,

Welcome to Atlassian Community!

You could use the REST API to do this and Scriptrunner should work too, but you should really consider it you want to add those 3000 plus options. The select field doesn't have a hard limit, but you will run into performance issues, see this question.

Another option would be to use an external data source and an app like Elements Connect, I used that when I was on Data Center and we needed to add a field that had 10000+ part numbers.

[Sravan Muppavarapu]

Hi Mikael,

Thanks for the response. My situation is also the same. these 3000 options are like apart names and numbers.

To overcome the performance issues, can I update 400 values every day or something like that?

[Mikael Sandberg]

No, your issue is that you will run into performance issues when someone will try and use the field. I would consider using an external data source, or if you have access to Insight use that instead because the field values are populated when the user is typing in the field instead of having to wait for the list to first populate before you can see them. And by using external data source or Insight you can easily maintain the list rather than having to do it from the custom field.

[Sravan Muppavarapu]

okay. I will try it. Already that custom field had 2400 options and these 3000 values are added to it.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

To add to @Mikael Sandberg 's advice, you should be aware that humans struggle with most lists longer than about 42 items.  Cloud Jira actively limits the number offered.  Your 5400 list is unlikely to be of any practical use - you will find that if humans are using the field rather than automation, it's mostly full of random junk.

[Sravan Muppavarapu]

This field is updated by automation. I mentioned previously this field had 2400 already and it was updated by automation.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Yes, you did, but how you've ended up with way too many options for your people is not important.  The point is that your field is probably useless to your people.

[Jamie Echlin _ScriptRunner - The Adaptavist Group_]

Also consider ScriptRunner database fields - https://docs.adaptavist.com/sr4js/latest/features/script-fields/built-in-script-fields/database-picker

It will lazily load values as the user types, they could be stored in an external database, or a csv/excel file etc.

[Sravan Muppavarapu]

@Nic Brough -Adaptavist- By the time I joined the organization It had already been added to the field. So No idea.

[Sravan Muppavarapu]

Hi All,

Thank you all for the responses and suggestions. I successfully completed this requirement and updated 3000+ options to the custom field using CSV file import.

Thank you

Sravan

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

@jagadesh.e 

The usual procedure (for rendering your field utterly useless - please see the points made about usage above), is to

• create a CSV sheet with all the entries you need
• it needs two columns, but you don't need to think about the values, the first column can be a copy of the second
• the first line should read "summary, field name"
• create a Jira project dedicated for this (so give it a key you are unlikely to reuse and permissions that only Jira admins can use it)
• configure the project so that it has no mandatory fields, and includes the field you want to import options into
• import the CSV file into the project, with settings:
  • Map summary column to summary
  • Map the field column to the field you want to add the options to
  • Select "create new options"

This will create thousands of issues in your project, each with the custom field set to a new imported value.

Note that you may have to do this in batches, some versions of Jira can only handle 1000 imported issues at a time.

[jagadesh.e]

@Sravan Muppavarapu could you please tell me the process how you did it through CSV. I have the same requirement.

Thank you,

Jagadesh

[Juliette Lallement _Elements Apps_]

Hi @Sravan Muppavarapu 

I am the Product Manager of Elements Connect. 

Elements Connect allows you to do that. If you would like to discuss your use case or have any further questions, feel free to book a call to my Calendar.

Best regards